Jannik Sinner reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals in a remarkable way on Monday. The Italian number one was facing a 2-0 set deficit when his opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, suddenly became injured and had to retire.
Sinner had lost the first two sets 6-3 and 7-5. Dimitrov had just brought the score to 2-2 in the third set when he suddenly sat down on the grass and grabbed his upper body. It was likely a chest injury.
For Dimitrov, it seemed immediately clear that the injury meant the end of the match, but the Bulgarian decided to receive treatment off the court. Shortly after his return, he decided to shake hands with Sinner and the umpire immediately. Continuing to play no longer made sense in his eyes.
Remarkably, Sinner himself seemed to consider giving up briefly in the second set. The world number one received treatment on his right elbow and did not make a very fit impression on Centre Court.
Yet, Sinner decided to keep fighting, and at a 5-4 deficit in the second set, he even broke Dimitrov when the world number 21 was serving for the set win. A game later, Sinner was broken again, and at 6-5, Dimitrov finished it off.
Closing of roof
The match was then paused for about ten minutes because the roof on Centre Court had to be closed due to the approaching darkness. After the break, Dimitrov’s level remained high, and one of the biggest surprises of this season seemed to be in the making. It did not come to that, and Dimitrov left Centre Court visibly emotional. He received a standing ovation from the British audience.
Eleven years ago, Dimitrov reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon. He has never reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament. His results have been disappointing in recent years.
“I don’t know what to say. He is a great player, and we have seen that. Seeing him like this is very sad, and he certainly does not deserve this. This is very bad luck, and I certainly do not see this as a victory. I wish Grigor a speedy recovery,” said Sinner, who now faces Ben Shelton, shortly after the anticlimax on Centre Court.